


Bars on Windows (But We Still See The Sun)

by Redrobinr



Category: Minecraft (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Criminals, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Prison, Canon-Typical Violence, Crimes & Criminals, Gen, I Don't Even Know, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, POV Third Person, Phil Watson Tries (Video Blogging RPF), Prison, Protective Technoblade (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo & TommyInnit Friendship (Video Blogging RPF), Tags Are Fun, Tags Are Hard, Tags May Change, Technoblade-centric (Video Blogging RPF), Threats of Violence, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-06
Updated: 2021-03-11
Packaged: 2021-03-12 02:29:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29877735
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Redrobinr/pseuds/Redrobinr
Summary: Prison!AU with the Dream SMP ensemble + Idots.Technoblade is a convicted serial killer, sentenced to life in prison. When sent to the SMP (Secure Maximum Prison), his hopes of escaping dwindle rapidly... At least solo anyway. He doesn't plan on leaving his new group behind after all. That and the wardens are actually kind of chill.Found family. All relationships are platonic unless canon - do not ask me to write non-canon relationships.
Relationships: Alexis | Quackity/Karl Jacobs/Sapnap, Cara | CaptainPuffy & Sam | Awesamdude, Cara | CaptainPuffy & Sam | Awesamdude & TommyInnit, Clay | Dream & Darryl Noveschosch & Sapnap, Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound & Darryl Noveschosch & Sapnap, GeorgeNotFound & Darryl Noveschosch & Sapnap, Ranboo & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo & Technoblade & Phil Watson (Video Blogging RPF), Ranboo & Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, Toby Smith | Tubbo & Wilbur Soot, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade, Wilbur Soot & Technoblade & TommyInnit & Phil Watson, Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit & Phil Watson
Comments: 111
Kudos: 416





	1. Conviction (Prologue)

“On accounts of mass murder and treason, how does the accused plead?”

“Guilty,” a grin soon formed on the face of the man stood above the table, gasps of shock echoed out from his next words, spoken so firmly and with absolute resolve, “and I’d do it again.”

The judge looked perturbed by the man and soon slammed his gavel against his podium, shouting for order in the court as several thousand people clamoured to see the elusive serial killer – some trying to snap pictures of the twisted smile on his face as he stared down the officers in the building, all of whom immediately retreated backwards until he was secured by his escorts.

“You are sentenced to life in prison, with no chance of parole. Be grateful we have no death sentence, Technoblade.”

Technoblade only laughed out loud at the comment and looked over his shoulder as he was escorted out, several chains and cuffs now dangled from his wrists, neck and ankles. Blood red eyes narrowed, and he reveled in the fear he saw on the judge, jury and the spectators. His grin had not faded.

“Be grateful you caught me… You were next on the list, Your Honour.”

Collective shudders ran through the suddenly cold courtroom before the pink-haired murderer was no longer in view and out of the building. His grin fell to a smirk as he listened to several reporters on the scene as he was shoved into the prison van.

“- said that the judge was next-”

“- elusive killer Technoblade was seen today smirking as he was loaded into the prison van-”

“- many people are calling the sentence ridiculous-”

“- many believe this won’t be the last we see of the infamous Technoblade.”

Another monotonous laugh rang out as the van doors were closed and hurriedly locked shut. Journalists continued clamouring around the officers, desperate to get their stories all the while people screamed, shouted and rioted in response to the sentence. Soon, he closed his eyes and placed his head on the wall of the van, his thoughts and expression unsettlingly serene as he thought of his crimes - some could swear there was an ounce of pride in his expression. He might have been caught, but that meant nothing. His story wasn’t going to just vanish… People were going to pass his story on. Many will remember him. After all, Technoblade never dies.


	2. Welcome to the SMP.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Technoblade is finally introduced to the SMP.

Footsteps echoed out through the entire hallway as Techno was escorted through the building and towards the security checkpoint. To say he was unimpressed when he saw at least six guards around the room and three inside would be an understatement, they took the whole maximum-security thing pretty serious it seemed. He was roughly shoved in the room and was directed towards two guards, one of which donned a pair of sunglasses and has styled, cropped brown hair; he donned his jacket as a cape.

One of the escorting officers begun to speak.

“Identification of the prisoner and classification: Inmate number 42069,” a soft chuckle came from the second guard, tanned with black hair and a band wrapped around his forehead with deep blue eyes. The one in glasses only shook his head to contain his own laughter, “maximum security, high-threat level.”

“Thank you, gentlemen,” Glasses had a deep voice, calm and overly polite in that moment, “you may take your leave, Puffy shall escort you back.”

A woman with long white hair with many colours running through the strands showed in the doorway and raised her hand quietly, a gesture for the officers to follow her. Techno could only assume that this was Puffy, and the way she raised her hand again to wave goodbye to the men in the room with him showed there was some familiarity. Maybe he could take this chance to escape-

“Honestly, people are so rough nowadays,” Glasses spoke again and Headband hummed in acknowledgment. Glasses was surprisingly gentle when he gripped Technoblade, and directed him to the wall, “apologies for the invasion of privacy, but routine procedure. Hands on the walls where we can see them and hold still while we frisk you for any potential weapons or drugs you may have on your person.”

The pink-haired man scoffed before he obeyed. His hands met the wall with a solid thud and he stood, unamused, as he felt Glasses pat him down his entire body. They weren’t going to leave any stone unturned it seemed, if the way he went over Techno’s body twice before backing off and clarifying that he couldn’t feel anything said so.

“Step two over and done with, apologies about this next step, procedure and all that.”

Glasses and Headband continued their search before they looked towards the third in the room, a rather tall man wearing a green mask with a frown reminiscent of the green creature Technoblade had seen in that game everyone spoke about – Minecraft – and dark green hair. He couldn’t stop the quirk of his brow at the sight – wasn’t coloured hair technically not allowed?

“Sam, could you take his belongings to storage please?” Headband inquired, and Sam hummed as he approached and took Techno’s personal effects in hand. Forest green eyes met red briefly before the corners crinkled slightly as he looked at Headband.

“Sure, Sapnap. You guys gonna be good while I’m gone?”

“We’ll be fiiine, right Eret?” Sapnap looked at Glasses who shrugged and smiled.

“Yeah man, no worries,” Eret glanced at Technoblade, who’s quirked brow had not dropped until the man had been handed his inmate uniform, “if anything goes south, we got support on the outside.”

Sam simply stared for a moment before he shook his head and left. Eret and Sapnap surprisingly looked away while Techno began to tug on the rather scratchy white uniform, only to look back when Eret had caught a glimpse of Techno buttoning up the white shirt. Another hum came from his throat before Eret gave three knocks on the door on the other end of the room just as Sam walked back in, holding a collection of items – hairbrush, toothpaste, toothbrush, bedsheets, spare uniforms and a towel.

“Ant, Bad, we’re all good here,” Sapnap called out and was met with two brunets opening the door and smiling softly. One had vibrant blue eyes and his hair was reminiscent of a Siamese cat’s fur, shades of blonde, black and brown all over the place. The other had a pair of thin framed glasses and welcoming green eyes.

“Oh cool. Well then, we’ll be taking over!” Bad smiled happily as he backed off and allowed Eret and Sapnap to gently nudge Techno through the door. Ant quickly walked behind and closed the door before he went to the other side of the pink-haired inmate.

“So, welcome to the SMP! You’re here because of...” Bad trailed off and pulled a shocked face when he read the convictions. Techno couldn’t help but smile at the reaction, “uhm... 200 murders and treason against the government.”

A quiet “whoa” came from Ant before Bad shook his head and continued speaking. The relaxed demeanour had dropped substantially however. _Good_.

“Due to your convictions, you have been sentenced to life in prison and are to be under 24-hour surveillance with maximum security. You’ll be housed in cellblock T – wait T? – and will be monitored in and out of your cell. You will not be permitted access outside until two weeks of your sentence has passed and you have been classified as safe to interact with the other inmates, which will then drop your 24-hour surveillance to 20 hours. Your cellmate has been temporarily moved to a different cell to prevent any contact until these two weeks have passed, to which you will be introduced to your cellmate.”

Techno had tuned out most of the speech until he heard “two weeks” and “cellmate”. He looked directly at Bad, who flinched when red met green. The momentary satisfaction was dropped when he saw Bad hurriedly readjust himself and calm down, standing upright again before he cleared his throat.

“Any questions?”

The inmate thought it over for a moment before he looked at Bad again, holding back his temptation to smirk again at the discomfort the guard was demonstrating.

“One. Oh wait... Two actually,” Bad nodded softly and prompted him on, “who’s my cellmate? When’s dinner and what is it?”

Bad blinked incredulously at him at the second question and Ant quickly took over to respond as he gently fiddled with the keys on his belt to be ready to lock Technoblade’s cell door.

“You’ll find out in two weeks, like Bad said, and dinner today should be potato stew... Unless the chefs have changed their minds. They usually do.”

Techno perked at the mention of potato stew, though his expression dropped again when Ant mentioned that the chefs may have changed their mind. He was escorted into the cell properly and soon had his door closed and locked. Antfrost prompted him to slip his hands through the gaps so his handcuffs could be removed; Techno did as he was told. He didn’t deny the relief he felt when tight metal bands were clicked off his sore wrists and ankles. Both guards began to walk away before Bad was stopped by a shout of his name.

“Yo! Bad! Can I stretch my legs? Plllleeeaaassseee?”

“Skeppy, you know I can’t do that right now...-”

“Aww c’mon Bad, for me? Please? Please? I’ll behave! Promise.”

Silence and then a “oh my goodness, fine!” and a cheer before the sound of a cell opening was heard. A soft warning from the guards was met with a chipper response before footsteps, retreating and approaching, were heard. Techno looked directly towards the black and blue haired inmate, equally blue eyes met his red ones and sparkled with unadulterated enthusiasm.

“Wow! So, you’re Technoblade! Man, this is awesome. I’ve heard so much about you and to actually see you, holy shit-”

A sharp cry of “language!” was heard across the hallway in response to the overexcited, loud voice of Skeppy. Skeppy only turned to look down the hallway and laughed before he apologised to whoever had called it out.

“I’m Skeppy! I’ve been here for like... Six months and I’m still serving. Got caught breaking and entering and then people managed to connect kidnapping charges to me – total BS by the way – so I got a stupid ten-year sentence.”

Skeppy crossed his arms angrily and huffed loudly before he looked directly at Techno again, the smile back on his face – he actually looked really young.

“Anywho, I can give you some ins-and-outs of SMP life and such. Tell you schedules and which wardens ‘n' guards are cool and all, like the ones who’ll actually treat you like a human and give you shit you want. It’s how Quackity gets anything he asks for, man got cosy with some of the guards, y’know.”

Techno thought it over before he leaned against the barred door and grinned.

“Go on...”

The grin was returned with vigour before Skeppy leaned against the door himself and begun speaking. He described each of the wardens and how to identify them (George, who usually wears clout goggles for some reason, Sapnap and Eret, who Techno had met earlier, Bad and Ant, who are apparently very chill, Nihachu, who’s one of the few female wardens, Puffy with her white hair, Foolish who usually dons golds and greens, Awesam, Callahan, the mute warden who hangs out with Bad a lot, Jack Manifold, who wears red and blue lens glasses basically every day, Karl, who Quackity had practically claimed alongside Sapnap and Fundy who always had some kind of fox accessory on him).

Techno listened carefully to each word spoken by the chatty boy, who dropped his raised fingers into a fist and then raised them again and tapped each tip gently as he begun listing off schedules (rise and shine at 8AM – what the fuck kind of day starts at 8? – showers at 8:15AM, breakfast starts at 8:30AM and ends at 9AM, stay in your cell until around 11AM, get lunch at 12AM and then break and free time – when you can free roam around the cell block or go exercise – which ends at 4PM, cell time until 5PM, then dinner at 6PM. Shower at 7PM and then back to your cells for sleep at 8PM).

Techno tilted his head and stretched briefly before he looked at Skeppy again.

“Who’s my cellmate?”

“Oh! Dude’s named Philza, in for some pretty deep shit. Got convicted for violent riots, murder of officers, aggravated assault and even treason. Which is weird cause he’s like, one of – if not the most – chill inmate in this place. Treats everyone who gets close to him like family. He’s like everyone’s prison dad. Pretty sure he got roomed with Wilbur until your two-week thingymajig is over.”

Philza, huh? Techno already liked the sound of him when Skeppy listed off his crimes. Techno nodded at the words of the boy, who grinned again before he looked over to the end of the hallway. His face dropped momentarily before he shrugged and looked at Techno.

“Sorry man, Bad’s tellin’ me I gotta get back in my cell. We’ll continue chatting at lunch!”

Techno actually looked forward to lunch for once.

* * *

When lunch came around, Techno’s veins thrummed with delight and his stomach made it very obvious it was hungry. A different guard had let him out to escort him to the dining hall – Foolish, he assumed when he saw the vibrant green and gold mask he donned on his face – and had gestured for him to go line up. Any peace Techno had was immediately interrupted when he had gotten his food – mashed potatoes! – and had Skeppy suddenly approach and begin dragging him to a table.

He glanced at the people say there and quirked a brow. A girl? Guy? With long brown hair and a mirror in hand was sat adjusting rather vibrant red lipstick. Besides her? Him? Was a guy with brown hair and a white shirt beneath his orange uniform with a clear orange ‘Z' on the chest, and on the opposite side was a guy with short, nearly black hair and a pug shirt beneath his uniform. Skeppy hurriedly sat down next to Pug Guy.

“Techno, this is Finn,” he gestured to the one with lipstick, who gave a wave and continued sorting his makeup out, “Zelk and Vurb. Guys, this is Technoblade.”

Vurb choked on his water.

“Dude, no way. _The_ Techno? You actually got caught?”

Techno only hummed at Vurb's words and nodded as he sat down besides Skeppy. Finn had placed his mirror down with a final smack of his painted lips and looked directly at Technoblade.

“Wow, that’s actually surprising. People thought you’d be going for years.”

The pink-haired man chuckled softly and began eating his mash. Skeppy suddenly clapped his hands together not a minute afterwards and quickly looked around before he tapped Technoblade’s shoulder.

“So, I’m gonna list off the cool inmates in this room now, ok? Ones you’ll wanna have on your side – including us of course!”

Technoblade nodded briefly as Skeppy began pointing to certain people. The first few were three boys sat together, one wearing a red beanie with curly brown hair, one with short brown hair and a bee charm around his neck and the third a loud blonde with wavy hair and bright blue eyes.

“Those three are Wilbur, Tubbo and Tommy. I mentioned Will earlier when you asked about Phil, remember?” A hum from Techno, “Wilbur’s a cool guy, got in the good books to get a guitar and now he plays for us whenever he can. Tommy’s loud, but he’s actually kinda funny, and Tubbo’s more than he lets on. Deceptive guy, Tubbo is... Smarter than he seems.”

Techno followed Skeppy’s turn and next directed point towards a guy in a blue beanie. He was stood with Sapnap and a guard with curly brown hair, who Techno assumed was Karl, an arm on the wall besides him.

“That’s Quackity. He’s the guy you go to if you want some alcohol, cigarettes and shit. Also, don’t fuck with Karl or Sapnap, ‘cause he will be out for blood. Some dumbass made that mistake and was dead in his cell the next day.”

The other inmates nodded at Skeppy’s words, and soon Techno had established that perhaps Quackity was going to be pretty useful.

“Over there is Punz,” Techno looked in the direction to see a blonde with a gold chain around his neck, “he’s in the good books of the head of the prison, Dream. Literally anything he does gets overlooked, so Punz is the one people go to when they want shit done. S’long as you got something to trade, he’ll do pretty much anything.”

Another useful person to keep in mind then.

“Quiet kid over there is Ranboo, no one actually knows why the guy’s in here, even a majority of the guards, but he’s actually really relaxed. Pretty much everyone likes him, so yeah.”

Techno took in the appearance of the boy, half albino with heterochromatic red and green eyes. His hair was split half-and-half, one side black and the other white. He was sat by himself, but would occasionally wave or smile whenever he was addressed. He seemed incredibly out of place.

“Oh! That’s Schlatt,” Techno’s head was turned briefly by Skeppy to look at a tanned guy with groomed, brown facial hair and styled dark brown hair, “he’s a piece of work, but he’s good to have on your side. He and Quackity used to be good friends, but something happened and now they hate each other so yeah-”

Skeppy was cut off from his rambling at a sudden, accented, ecstatic outcry of “PHIL!” from someone. A few others joined in and Techno immediately looked in the direction they were being called. He was met with the sight of a man with messy, long blonde hair tied in a braid on the front and a small ponytail on the back. Blue eyes were wide with shock at the excited calls before he just begun to laugh and shook his head as he approached Wilbur, Tommy and Tubbo.

“And that’s Phil!” Skeppy quickly said and grinned, “like I said earlier, everyone loves the dude. Even the wardens. He’s your roomie – a lot of people are gonna be envious, just so you know – so you might as well get to know him when you can. Hold up, lemme just- YO PHILZA!”

Phil’s conversation with Wilbur was immediately paused when Skeppy called out his name, and he walked over when hurried “c’mere!” gestures were made. He raised a hand to the boys, all clearly disappointed he was leaving, before he was stood by the table and placed his hands on the surface.

“What’s up, Skeppy?” The voice was accented and soft, far too welcoming for a guy in prison with his convictions. Maybe that’s how he got people to support him in the riots.

“Not much, not much, sorry to take you from Will and that, but I needed to introduce you to someone!” Skeppy quickly gestured to Technoblade with a grin when Phil prompted him on, “y’know how you were moved from your cell ‘n’ shit cause of a new guy? This is him. Phil, meet Technoblade, the guy who’s just been moved into your cell as your roomie!”

Phil’s eyes met Techno’s and for a moment, nothing was said. Tension that had begun forming in the pink-haired man soon vanished however as Philza gave a warm grin and raised a hand for Techno to shake. The man didn’t even hesitate when it was offered and earned a laugh from the “prison dad”.

“Nice to meet you, Techno! I’m looking forward to getting to know you. Welcome to the SMP, I guess!”

Techno could only return the smile he was given and nodded as the two parted hands and continued speaking.

“Uh, thanks. Sorry about the whole cell thing-”

“Ah, don’t worry ‘bout it, mate, happens to everyone. Will’s probably getting antsy-” an annoyed shout of Tommy’s name was heard and Phil’s entire body practically deflated, “- so I should get back to them... Talk later, Techno! See you guys later.”

A chorus of “bye Phil”s were echoed out by everyone as he walked back to the table with Wilbur and the boys. Skeppy practically grinned as he looked at Technoblade again.

“So, looking forward to the end of the two weeks?”

Techno chuckled and nodded as he watched Phil break up the argument between Wilbur and Tommy over some mashed potato portions.

“Absolutely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And boom! Practically everyone listed so far have been named. I'm proud of myself.  
> Figured since the "first chapter" was so goddamn short that I should upload the actual first chapter as well today, so hey. Two chapters in a day. Look at me being progressive and productive.  
> Hope you guys liked this chapter! Kudos, comments and bookmarks always welcome.


	3. Something New, Something Old

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two weeks pass by quickly when you have something to look forward to.

It had nearly been the full two weeks when Techno finally met the head of the prison, Dream. The man was odd, refusing to wear the uniform jacket and choosing instead to don an unzipped green hoodie with a white smile on the left breast. He even kept his face hidden with a lacquer mask – masks seemed to be a popular thing with the staff of this place – that also had a smile on its surface. The prison head had approached Techno on his 12th day and had made sure Techno was behaving; he even made sure to list off the rules for inmates (Techno had practically tuned them out and had panicked briefly when he heard Dream change the subject. He’d have to ask one of the others – maybe Skeppy – what the rules actually were).

Lunch and dinner were the few moments he anticipated, wanting to see the other inmates again without having his two-week restriction prevent him from doing so. He’d actually gotten to know Wilbur, Tommy and Tubbo well, courtesy of Phil introducing him. He hadn’t expected to see the starry eyes of Tommy upon hearing his name, nor had he expected Wilbur to be so friendly. He did give a mock warning to look after Phil though and made the blonde laugh at the way he said it, to which Techno had responded to with “I will, Will” and made Phil laugh even more and Techno had decided then and there that was now one of his most favourite sounds in the world.

The final day was probably the best, if he were to be honest. He had walked into the dining hall and had several of his new friends swamp him and congratulate him on his final day of lockdown in his cell, and was immediately ushered into the middle table and given plenty of presents and food. Techno had spent most of lunch trying incredibly hard to not cry of happiness at the proud looks on everyone’s faces and the consistent praise. Even some of the wardens congratulated him – Bad had openly said he looked forward to seeing Techno roam the halls, and that he would be totally fine with giving him a tour – for his good behaviour and gave him some presents (he totally didn’t keep Eret's crown clip in his hair at all times, what do you mean?).

The first day out of his lockdown was a great change of pace. Bad had kept his word and showed him around properly. Techno had found himself hovering in the barber's entryway a little longer than he anticipated when he saw Ranboo gently braiding Phil’s hair, and seeing how affectionate Karl was being with Quackity as he brushed his hair and cut it to a length he actually liked. Bad had given him a knowing look and gently tugged at Techno’s sleeve to usher him onwards; a silent promise that he could come back later reflected in gentle green eyes. The gym was nice, he wasn’t surprised in the slightest when he saw Punz punching out a boxing bag with the accuracy of a trained killer, though he didn’t anticipate seeing Tommy and Tubbo in the ring, practising defensive manoeuvres.

“C’mon Big T! Quit hesitating and give me some actual fucking attacks so I can practise!”

“Hey! Language!” Bad’s outcry stopped the younger inmates in their tracks and the young blonde’s face broke out into a massive grin.

“BadBoyHalo! Big Man! How you doing?”

“I’m alright, thank you,” Bad returned the smile softly before he gestured to Techno, “I’m giving Techno the tour I promised him.”

“Yooo, Techno, my man, The Blade! Enjoy free-roam privilege, it’s the boooomb,” Tommy’s grin hadn’t vanished, but soon an annoyed noise from Punz made it drop briefly, “what the fuck, Punz?”

Another sharp “language!” from Bad made Tommy grin again.

“You’re being loud, Tommy. I’m trying to focus.”

“Suck it up then Punz, I’m trying to chat to my pals.”

“Oh, Techno,” Tubbo suddenly spoke up and gently pushed Tommy aside so he was in view, “have you been to the Prime Hall yet? Wilbur said he was going to play there in like... Five minutes.”

“Prime Ha-?”

“OH SHIT! WILBUR’S CONCERT! Sorry guys, I promised Will I wouldn’t miss it! Gotta go!”

Before Bad could even manage another language, Tommy had grabbed Tubbo’s arm and sped off towards wherever Prime Hall was. Confused blinks from Techno spurred Bad to laugh before he looked at the man and begun to walk again, he briefly gestured for the inmate to follow him as he did so.

By the time they arrived at Prime Hall, there was soft acoustic guitar music playing and once the door opened, Techno was met with the sight of a large church hall. A large stained glass window behind the central chancel, which had Wilbur sat on the blackstone steps, one leg stretched out and the other bent to support his guitar alongside the guitar strap. Many of the inmates and wardens sat on the pews, all a type of carved dark oak wood which surprisingly caught the purple tinted lighting very well. Even Dream was there, an arm around the back of the pew and rested next to George’s arm, focused entirely on Wilbur softly singing.

“- either way make the most of him, ‘cause she moves on pretty bloody quick.”

Bad hurriedly sat down beside Skeppy and Techno was waved at by Phil, who prompted him to sit down quietly. Wilbur's eyes were closed as he sung out loud, entirely concentrated on the notes as Phil leaned against the pew happily while he watched, and Techno soon found himself relaxing as well. He occasionally chuckled at certain lines, which was rewarded with a smile from the curly haired Brit and slightly more enthusiasm with his stupider lines.

Once Wilbur finished and he stood up, he was met with several cheers from everyone and claps from those who weren’t and he soon walked over to Phil and Techno, who were rapidly joined by Tommy and Tubbo. Most of the wardens had left by now, Bad, Eret and Sapnap the only ones still in the room and many of the inmates having left. Wilbur gracefully slid in the seat the moment Phil shifted to give him space in between the both of them and he slung his arms around both men with a grin.

“Sooo~? What’d you guys think?" Wilbur's voice had a singsong tone to it, "good or good?”

Techno snorted at the comment and gently thumped Wilbur on his head and knocked the beanie askew. A tut from Phil was accompanied with him righting the beanie hat before his lips curled into a smile. He gently patted Wilbur's cheek affectionately.

“It was great, Will. You looked like you were having a great time, mate.”

“Ooh, I was! And don’t think I didn’t hear you laughing Techno! I’ll make sure to write in some more funny lines.”

The pink-haired man grinned at the words and bumped Wilbur’s arm with his elbow; he received a sarcastic “ow” in return. A soft chuckle came from Phil again, and Tommy’s rambunctious laugh was heard with Tubbo’s soft giggles just audible. The five of them continued their banter, never once paying attention to those around them nor the time, until Sapnap and Bad cleared their throats.

“Hey guys, free roam’s over. Head back to your cells, 'kay?” Sapnap’s tone was relaxed, but it was clear to them all that he was being as serious as he could manage at the time. A chorus of affirmatives came from them all as Bad led Tommy and Tubbo back to their cells. Sapnap gestured briefly for Eret to come with, and the guards casually walked out with the last three in tow. Eret spoke with Wilbur somewhat relaxed – Techno could easily spot the tension between the two and made a note to ask Phil about it later – while Sapnap happily chatted Phil’s ears off.

A few moments later, they gave a "see you later" to the other warden and inmate and continued on their way, the blue-eyed warden having not stopped talking the entire time. The older man nodded and smiled the entire time until they arrived at their cell and with a brief gesture, Techno and Phil walked inside. With a heavy thunk, the door was closed behind them and they were locked inside. Phil glanced at the bunk bed of the cell and then towards Techno.

“Which one d’you want, mate?”

“Don’t mind, but I can take top bunk if that isn’t your thing.”

An affirmative hum came from Phil as he slipped into the bottom bunk and made himself comfortable, passing up any personal effects Techno had left on the surface. The two situated themselves wordlessly and met each other’s eyes, only continuing the soft conversations they’d been having earlier. Phil ran a hand through his hair briefly and pursed his lips when he looked at Techno’s rather unkempt mess. It took seconds for him to climb out of his bunk and onto Techno’s, a spare hair tie in hand.

“This has to be a right pain in the ass when you’re sleeping... I’m not that good at hairstyles, but I’m pretty good at braids, got practise with my own after all. D’you want one?”

Techno thought it over before he nodded and twisted himself so that his back was to Philza, who gently took his hair in hand and begun to create three separate sections and twisted them around each other one at a time. The entire process was relaxed, Phil occasionally apologised whenever he tugged a little too hard and quiet conversations were continued.

“Say Phil...” a hum in response, “what’s the deal with Will and Eret?”

“Ooh... I dunno if it’s my place to say, mate. That’s kinda somethin’ you gotta ask Wilbur yourself, y’know? All I can say is that they used to be good friends, but somethin’ ‘appened between ‘em.”

A disappointed noise came from Techno before he huffed in response and withheld the temptation to nod. A gentle chuckle slipped from Philza’s throat at the reaction, and a gentle tap on the shoulder permitted Techno to turn around. Phil had a gentle grip on his new braid and turned it to show Technoblade his handiwork. An impressed hum was the reaction he was given and Phil practically beamed.

“It’s not the best, I know, but it’s something! At least it’s more manageable.”

With that, his braid was let go and Techno quickly draped it over his shoulder, content thrummed in his veins as he took in the surprisingly intricate work. He turned his head again to look at Philza with a smile on his lips.

“Thank you, Phil.”

“You’re welcome, mate.”

Dinner resulted in people complimenting the braid and soon Techno found himself wanting to maintain the braid style from then on, but the way Finn’s eyes sparkled at the sight of it before he immediately asked if he could do the braid himself next time and the way Phil looked genuinely proud of his handiwork every time someone complimented it had indefinitely swayed his judgement.

Sure, there was the odd tease from his friends of “Technobraid!” whenever they saw him from then on, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Sure, sometimes the girls got a little carried away by adding floral clips and actual flowers in the strands and sometimes the way Finn would arrive with more and more accessories and ribbons meticulously picked to match Techno’s hair was ridiculous, but he found himself beginning to actually like it.

Little by little, his desire to leave dwindled the more he spent his time with everyone and suddenly, he was thankful for his life sentence, because it meant he met everyone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little bit of wholesome bonding for you all, because the next chapter is anything but.  
> You guys all seem to be enjoying this, and I'll admit I wasn't expecting so many people to enjoy the story! But seeing all of the comments and kudos and seeing the bookmarks people have been making is honestly amazing. I'm so glad you all enjoy reading this as much I like writing it!


	4. He Threw a Quick Left Hook and it Broke My Nose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peace doesn't last forever...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning for depictions of violence! Enjoy guys.

Today... Didn’t turn out the way Technoblade thought it would.

At first, the day was normal – everyone was treating him the same, Punz was still being his distant, “professional” self and Phil was still doting on him and Wilbur like a loving dad - he always denies that it makes him feel great having someone care so much about him. Techno had even started to get to know Quackity and Schlatt, who had been stood against the wall of the cell block (Block M) and speaking during free-roam.

It turned out that Schlatt was actually a surprisingly relaxed guy, but he was very free with his words. Whenever someone passed by, Schlatt would openly catcall or wolf whistle to them – Techno noticed that George and Wilbur seemed to be on the receiving end a lot and while George would often duck his head down and walk quicker, his ears a vibrant red that rivalled Techno’s own eye colour, Wilbur would often return the flirtatious remarks with ease and laugh along – and had seemingly no shame in his actions.

Quackity... Well... Quackity and Techno still had some tension between them, only made worse when Quackity threatened to kill Techno if he hurt Karl or Sapnap. To say that Techno disliked Quackity would be an understatement, but he supposed he’d have to tolerate the Mexican man’s attitude if he were to have everything he needed in his palm...

When Punz approached him out of nowhere and cornered him where there were no cameras, no guards and no inmates, Techno knew immediately that something was wrong. He had to react incredibly fast – much to his surprise – when the blonde rushed him with a handmade shiv and actually drew blood from his cheek. To think he tried to get along with this guy!

A snarl, practically feral, slipped from Techno’s lips as Punz readied another attack; he actually reached some very impressive speed – Tech probably would’ve praised him if his life wasn’t on the line – and aimed straight for his neck. The murderer had reacted as quickly as he could with a makeshift shield made of his forearms in front of the targeted area and let out a scowl as the blade tore through his shirt and skin with a clear rip. Punz didn’t have much time to react himself in return as Techno dropped down and swept his legs out from under him; his braid swung wildly from the motions. He didn’t stop fighting even as Techno dropped himself onto his stomach, smacked his blade-wielding wrist against the floor several times until a crunch echoed out and the shiv was released and slid across the floor. Techno hurriedly raised a fist to hit Punz’s head.

The blonde let out his own growl as he raised his other hand and blocked the attack. He twisted Techno’s arm and sharply slammed his elbow into the murderer’s nose. Both gained a sick grin when they heard the crack of cartilage and skin breaking under the impact. Techno’s blood dropped onto the once white uniform of both inmates and the man only licked the dripping blood from his lips before he retaliated with no warning.

Punz was on the receiving end of the snap this time, as his own nose was broken with a harsh fist in the face. A quiet chuckle came from Punz and he raised his sleeve and wiped blood on the once pure material and stained the white permanently. Their teeth were now painted a shade of pink. The fists continued raining down on their opponents.

Techno had smirked when he saw the once pristine face of Punz destroyed with clear bruises, cuts and scrapes all over – all caused by him. Not like Techno was in any better a state, he could feel the torn skin on his cheek, could taste the coppery blood on his tongue from his lips and could barely see out of his left eye, now covered in blood and swollen. The shiv was grabbed by the blonde again. Techno reacted by blocking the lunge and slamming the other hand into the wall. No crack. _Damn_...

A sharp outcry of shock echoed out in the hallway just as Punz slammed the back of his head into the other inmates jaw and soon Techno could feel arms and hands all over his body, restraining him from getting any closer to the smug bastard in front of him. Punz seemed just as frustrated as hands and arms locked his body in place despite his struggles. Heaving pants came from both as more footsteps were heard and suddenly the wardens were there and _oh God, Phil looks so distressed, when did he get here? Why did he have to see this?_

He could barely hear the wardens speaking sternly over the sound of the adrenaline and his heart rate in his ears. Punz seemed to be shouting – _what was he saying?_ Techno couldn’t hear him; his heartbeat was so loud – and soon he was pinned to the floor by both Sapnap and Sam. The green-haired man’s hand pressed directly against the pressure point on the back of Punz's neck but not applying too much force, just enough to keep him pinned and in check, and oh – Eret, Bad and Ant were in front of him. _Why does Bad look so worried?_

Techno didn’t hear the distressed shouts of Wilbur and Phil when suddenly it was too difficult to stand and he just needed sleep and suddenly the floor was so close...

* * *

He woke up in the infirmary with Niki and Puffy stood over him. A sound of delight came from the blonde woman before she rushed out of the room to get someone. Puffy remained by his side.

“Hey, Techno... How’re you feeling?”

The inmate was silent before he tried to move himself upright – ah, his body really didn’t like that – and stopped the moment hands were on his shoulders and sharp pain shot through his entire nervous system. Puffy chided him as if he were a child misbehaving, and looked at the bandages on Techno’s arms. She was gentle as she brushed a thumb against the lifting edge of one of the many plasters on his face to press it down again and she was just as soft as she wiped at the bruises and smaller scrapes to clean them up with disinfectant wipes. He could feel his eyes drooping because of the actions.

“Punz?” Puffy seemed surprised at the name-drop, and she looked behind her. Techno tiredly followed her gaze to see an unconscious Punz atop the bed, covered in many bandages and plasters just as Technoblade was. His left wrist – the one not broken by Techno – was cuffed to the bedframe.

“Sam had to sedate him; he was getting too violent. You do know that both of you will be in solitary for this, right?”

Technoblade hummed as he placed his head back on the pillow and winced as pain shot through his cheek and eye socket. He’s probably got a lovely bruise there...

“M aware. I dropkicked that child in self-defence.”

“Self-defence or not, Techno, you got into a fight with another inmate! Both of you have to be punished for this-”

The door to the infirmary opened up with a soft click and soon familiar mops of blonde and brown hair was in Techno’s view. Philza looked distraught as he entered first, but that expression dropped slightly when he saw that Techno was very much alive and awake. A breath of relief came from Wilbur as well, who soon leaned completely on the smaller man as if he couldn’t support his own weight. Tommy and Tubbo shared twin looks of concern but it was clear both were happy he was alive.

“Hullo,” Techno’s voice was hoarse, and they all definitely heard as Wilbur immediately righted himself and grabbed a plastic cup, poured water into it and slid into a stool nearby as he handed the white-haired warden the water before he and Phil helped Techno sit upright. Puffy soon handed him the water and Technoblade would honestly have been lying if he said he wasn’t greedy with it.

Phil gently took the cup after his third large gulp of the refreshing liquid, and set it aside with a soft scold of his hurriedness, yet affection shone prominent in his eyes.

“Yo, Blade, what spurred the fight with Punz anyways?” Tommy asked after a beat and Techno tilted his head – he did his best to hide the wince the action caused, but the way concern flitted in everyone’s eyes showed he had failed to do so – before he pursed his lips and answered.

“I dunno. One-minute Punz and I somewhat get along the next minute he corners me and is out for my blood. Sucks for him that Technoblade never dies.”

Techno prided himself in the starry-eyed look Tommy gave at his words and the way Wilbur softly chuckled at the statement. Philza shook his head briefly before he sighed and looked at Punz, a perplexed look on the older man’s face before he scratched briefly at his scruff. Techno sucked his teeth briefly - the taste of blood still present no matter what - before he gently placed his lesser wounded hand on Phil’s shoulder and smoothed the area he touched. He was happy to see the way the blond relaxed at the gesture.

“Don’t think too hard 'bout it Philza, don’t wanna trouble you more than I already have.”

“You could never trouble me, mate, I just wanna know why Punz suddenly turned on you... Seemed like he liked you.”

Techno removed his hand from Phil’s arm and shrugged briefly, much to the other inmates’ dismay. He looked at Punz again, who still had not woken up from his sedation, and frowned briefly before he spoke out loud without realising he had done so.

“Guess someone else in the prison doesn’t like me that much.”

“Well, we’re gunna find out who and teach ‘em not to mess with Technoblade!” Tommy gave a few jabs to the air with a determined look in his own blue eyes and Tubbo’s eyes sparkled as he quickly nodded in agreement as he jumped up and copied Tommy's movements.

“Yeah! Let’s teach them not to screw with us!”

Phil let out a “let’s not” in dismay as the two younger inmates became hyper, determined on going through with their ridiculous plan. A disappointed “Will, seriously?” followed afterwards when Wilbur also joined in, hyping the boys up even more and adding his own little makeshift fight scene to the mix. Puffy didn’t seem to mind as she giggled at the antics of the inmates, though she paled briefly when she looked at the infirmary entrance.

“Oh! Uhm, Dream, hello.”

All of the boys stopped their scene when they heard Dream’s name. All eyes went to the caramel blond-haired man stood in the doorway, the ever-present smiling mask on his face which did nothing to remove the surprisingly intimidating aura that came from him.

“Ah, Technoblade. You’re awake... Good,” Sapnap came in through the doorway as Dream made room for him and he headed straight towards the unconscious Punz, “you’re due for solitary confinement, you know. Make this easy on yourself and come along. Don’t need to get more hurt than you already are, after all.”

Techno grunted softly as he pushed himself from the bed and downed the rest of the water in his plastic cup. He watched as Tommy and Tubbo split from each other to allow him to proceed and simply took his braid in hand, flipped it over his shoulder and onto his back before his eyes met Dream’s smiling mask ones. The two seemed to be staring each other down, the atmosphere in the infirmary suddenly increasingly thick, before Techno simply smirked.

“Of course. Lead the way.”

The last image he got before the infirmary door was closed was that of the equally concerned faces of his friends and Puffy who had all remained beside his temporary bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter name was inspired by Alex Benjamin's "Boy In The Bubble"! I think the song actually really suits the fight scene in this chapter, so I wanted to make an homage to it with the title.
> 
> I'm so glad everyone has been enjoying the story so far! It's been a blast writing it. My friend actually helped me plan this specific chapter, gave me a few good ideas that I'm definitely stealing and implementing into the storyline.
> 
> Comments, kudos and bookmarks as always appreciated as well. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!


	5. Confinement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Techno faces his punishment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: Brief, vague descriptions of a panic attack.

The sound of the solitary confinement door closing behind him was loud. Too loud. A hatch was pushed open and he turned to meet barely visible dark blue eyes. They had an apologetic look in them, but he couldn’t find it in him to accept it for now. He simply walked to the back wall, turned on his heels and leaned against the uncomfortably cold surface of visible metal.

“Look, Tech, I’m sorry man. But inmate fights are massively against the rules, dude,” Sapnap soundly genuinely apologetic, but he froze briefly when blazing red eyes met his blue.

“And yet Punz is exempt when he was the one who started the fight. Hardly sounds fair.”

Sapnap turned away briefly, entirely out of view from the small hatch. A metallic thump was heard and Techno could only assume that the Texan had hit his head against the door, whether it was out of frustration or something else he couldn’t tell. Dark hair breezed past the hatch and blue was staring back at him again.

“Look, Punz has always been a... Friend of Dream’s. Not all of us condone the bias, but what can we do? Dream’s in charge man, not us.”

A disapproving growl came from Technoblade, and the younger warden immediately recoiled. Techno could hear the swallow of discomfort from him.

“It’s just a couple of days, dude. Be over ‘fore you know it.”

The hatch was closed and Techno was left to wallow in the darkness of solitary.

He undid his braid – god it was so messy, he had ruined Phil’s hard work and had damaged Finn’s maroon ribbon he had gotten him – and ran his fingers through bloodstained, dusty pink hair. He grimaced when his fingers caught on bloodied knots and tore out frayed strands when he yanked the digits through.

He spent at least an hour just poorly maintaining the locks he prided himself on. He bit down on Finn’s ribbon as he redid the braid, nowhere near as effectively as Phil or Niki always did, but at least it was better than Tommy’s (he still has nightmares about the poor “braid” Tommy had done and he mirrored the horrified looks everyone else had). He fondly remembered Ranboo walking in and hearing the usually incredibly quiet boy suddenly exclaim “what the hell happened to your hair, Techno?”. The offended look Tommy had on his face afterwards accompanied with an exclamation of “oi!” had immediately lightened the mood and Ranboo’s hurried apologies to the blond had everyone laughing.

The memory made his mood just that little bit brighter as he finalised the braid with gentle few twists of the ribbon around the top after he had tied the end off with the first hair tie Phil had ever given him. The inmate fiddled with his shirt next, shifted around as he undid and redid buttons and soon a frustrated noise came from him when he popped at least three out of them off. His brows furrowed as he looked at the now torn off buttons on the floor.

Okay... New distraction needed.

The process continued consistently, he’d been through pacing around the room (he’d done it ten times before his brain screamed for something new), at least fifty different exercises (they had kept him entertained for a while, especially the star jumps and push-ups) and eventually he had gone back to fiddling with his clothes again. He knew solitary would be boring, but this was ridiculous.

The sound of the hatch opening was a blessing and Techno had never whipped his head around quicker than he had at that moment. He held the urge to chuckle at the startled green on the other side of the gap.

“Uhm, wow, hello to you too, Technoblade,” Bad’s voice rung out and the man immediately walked closer so he was in view. The kindly warden took one look at him, let out a distraught noise and backed off briefly. He spoke to someone the inmate couldn’t see and soon had something slid through a lower hatch.

Food.

“How long have I been in here, Bad?” Technoblade resisted the urge to wince at the scratchy texture of his voice, but it genuinely concerned him.

“About 5 hours.”

Five? Only five?

“Seriously?”

“Yeah, it’s only just turned 6PM.”

The noise that ripped from Techno’s throat took him by surprise. He’d never thought he could sound that... Anguished. He ducked his head down and quickly retreated backwards into the darker area. He didn’t miss the concerned, barely audible words of Bad directed towards someone with him. The sound of an equally worried, confirmative response was lost on him as he dropped down to the floor, pulled his knees into his body and held them close.

Five hours? He’d only been in here for five hours. That couldn’t be right... Surely it had been longer? It felt like it had been longer. Was Bad lying? It had to have been at least eight hours, right? Surely, he wasn’t imagining that, right?

He didn’t hear the door open. Someone was in front of him. He’d been stupid. He showed vulnerability and he was going to pay for it–

He didn’t expect the arms that came around him and pulled him into a warm body. He struggled; the hands didn’t let go. His arms thrashed and he heard impacts, heard the sound of skin brutally meeting skin yet they still didn’t let go. Words he couldn’t decipher were being spoken and his head was gently directed towards something and suddenly he could hear something – a heartbeat, slow and steady and consistent – and it was comforting. Reassuring. Safe.

“I’m so sorry, Techno... I’m so sorry.”

He ignored the figure in the doorway, looking around nervously as he removed a hand from his legs and gripped onto the jacket in front of him. He shuddered slightly as the hug felt like something was pulling him out from crashing waves, saving him from his own thoughts and grounding him. The buzzing in his ear made way for soft, comforting words, all spoken delicately and with reassurance that everything will be okay, that this is only temporary.

His eyes cracked open to see the familiar uniform of Bad’s and the black and red, sleeveless hoodie underneath served as a reminder, a confirmation. Bad was a friend. Bad would keep an eye on him, keep him safe. He continued to listen to the steady heartbeat of his friend and followed it with his breathing pattern. He slowly looked up and winced when he saw the forming bruises on Bad’s face and neck, but he was met with a smile.

Bad wasn’t mad at him? People always got mad at him when that happened. People feared him when he became overwhelmed. People yelled at him, screamed at him. People called him a monster... Why didn’t Bad?

The warden gently loosened his grip on the inmate, and slowly backed off. He did, however, keep enough physical contact with Techno to reassure him. He raised a hand and gently brushed loose strands that had stuck to warm, damp skin behind his ear. The figure in the doorway became more fidgety.

“Bad, we gotta go. Dream’s not gonna be impressed with how long we’re taking. He’s already mad about the bias you show to Skeppy...” an accented voice, soft and strained at the same time, was heard from the mass.

Techno finally looked over Bad’s should to see a ginger warden in the doorway, a rainbow patch sewn into the material of the jacket’s left breast and a fox pendant dangled from the neck of the man.

“I know, I know... But Techno needed this... I can’t just leave him alone when he’s panicking like that, Fundy,” Bad’s voice had taken a slightly whiny tone and Fundy’s coal eyes narrowed as he raised his hand and orange strands were taken between his fingertips as long black nails briefly clicked together.

“But still-”

“Fundy. We can afford to bend the rules just a little bit for a situation like this. Techno could’ve hurt himself-”

“He hurt you!” Fundy interrupted and Bad just raised a hand and continued.

“- and that makes what happened a health and safety risk. If Dream asks, I’ll just tell him I prevented a safety violation. Simple.”

Fundy stopped arguing when the finality of the last word was heard. It didn’t stop the younger warden from crossing his arms as he shifted his feet in some kind of nervous shuffle while Bad checked Technoblade over for any newly sustained injuries from his panic session. A smile and sigh of relief came from the older warden when he couldn’t find any, though he frowned when Fundy let out another noise of discomfort.

“Bad, seriously, we gotta go. You can check on him later, yeah? Or ask one of the others to do it when they come?”

“Alright, alright, you impatient muffin,” Bad scolded lightly before he slowly stood up. He gave a few more words of reassurance to Techno before he headed to the doorway, “make sure you eat something, okay Techno? You’ll feel better with a full stomach.”

The inmate only nodded as Bad’s form was hidden behind a heavy iron door and a lock clicking in place rung out. A final glance of green through the hatch was provided before it too, was closed. He only approached the tray of food and dragged it towards him, the sight made him smile slightly. Potato stew and a small note on the tray with the words “for our potato fanatic! See you soon. <3”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ended on a wholesome note just for you guys.
> 
> College has restarted, but I'm going to try and make sure I still manage to post chapters because it's a fun project to work on when I'm not too busy! Also, this is the most attention any of my stories have ever had - thank you so much! 240+ kudos and over 40 bookmarks is incredible. I'm glad you're all enjoying this story! <3
> 
> Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Comments, kudos and bookmarks always appreciated!


	6. Returned

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Techno finally gets released from solitary.

The relief that overwhelmed Techno when he was finally released from solitary was like a freight train. He stumbled consistently the entire way back to his cell due to his excitement and any and all negative emotions vanished the moment he laid eyes on his friends. He wasn’t one for physical contact, but having Tubbo and Ranboo launch themselves at him and envelop him into a three-way hug was definitely a feeling he enjoyed. Phil had been watching the entire time and had quickly called out for the boys to go easy on Technoblade, though he didn’t seem mad when the sentence was ignored and gave Techno a smile when he peeked over the shoulder of the lanky half-and-half boy.

Tommy was stood to the side, awkwardly shifting from one side to the other before Techno pulled back from Tubbo and Ranboo and simply moved his arm to offer Tommy a place in the hug. He acted like he didn’t want to join, consistently saying he’s not a child and that big men don’t give hugs, but he eventual caved in with prompting from all three and joined the hug with barely contained zeal.

The four of them stayed that way for a few seconds longer before Techno suddenly said that he was done with the lovey-dovey, soft stuff and wanted his mobility back or there will be problems. He’d never seen the three of them separate from someone so quickly.

Phil had chuckled softly before he approached and helped Techno up with an offered hand. Once back in the familiarity of his actual cell, he sat down on his bed immediately and let out a rather winded noise. He chuckled at the sound of Eret telling the boys to go back to their cells and the brief banter that occurred between the warden and Ranboo. The bed had dipped when Philza – unsurprisingly elegant with his movements – slid through the bunk gap and onto the bed next to the pink-haired inmate.

The habitual quiet conversations returned within seconds, with Phil updating him on anything recent that happened (turned out that Schlatt and Quackity had gotten into another argument, one that was quite explosive. Techno lamented the fact he missed it, the way Phil described it made it sound like a complete spectacle) while he was in solitary. The usual routine of Phil doing Techno’s braid had made its way into the conversation as well; Techno was much happier when he saw his appalling braid being fixed by dexterous hands.

“Bad kept us updated on how you were doin’ in there as well,” Phil’s accented syllables were incredibly relaxing when combined with his gentle touches and overall calming aura. Techno hummed in response, “he told us about your... “Moment” as well...”

Technoblade winced before he nodded. He looked over his shoulder to meet Phil’s eyes with his own, and allowed the always friendly blue eyes keep him grounded for a moment before he broke the eye contact and shrugged.

“It happens sometimes. I got a lot going on up here,” he tapped briefly against his temple, “sometimes it overwhelms me. Bad just... Happened to see me at one of my all-time lows.”

Phil’s brows furrowed briefly in thought before he sighed and nodded in acknowledgment. He shifted from where he was sat, lost in thought for a while until he simply smiled at the increasingly concerned Techno. The friendly demeanour was a much-welcomed return from a conflicted Philza.

“Well, alright mate. Just let me know if you ever want to talk about it, ok? I’m happy to help.”

The killer nodded at the offer from the older man and quickly got up from Phil’s bunk and clambered onto his own one. He welcomed the soft lull of familiarity in the scent of hair products that clung to his pillow covers and the incoming call of sleep.

“S’nds g’d, Phil... M gun’ sleep now, ‘kay?”

He barely heard the soft chuckle and quiet response from his cellmate as sleep finally cradled him in its warmth and dragged him into a peaceful slumber. He didn’t realise just how tired he was...

* * *

“ _-no... -echno..._ Techno.”

He muttered incoherently to the ongoing voice which sounded comfortingly familiar. A gentle shake of his shoulder accompanied the next call of his name and he finally shifted as he blinked the sleep from his eyes. He was met with the warm smile of his cellmate.

“Hiya mate. Dinner’s just started and I figured you wouldn’t wanna miss that.”

Another string of random words and noises came from Technoblade as he sat himself up and yawned. He heard he soft thud of Phil’s feet meeting the cell floor and suddenly he was hit with an overwhelmingly present hunger. It was only emphasised by an incredibly loud, discontent grumble from his stomach. He sheepishly laughed at Phil’s shocked face.

“Ookaayyy, you need food. C’mon, Tech, outta bed.”

He listened as he slid from the top bunk and followed Phil – he had no choice if he were to get his stomach to shut up; Phil had a gentle hold on his wrist and was dragging him towards the dining hall. He turned every so often to make sure Techno didn’t stumble or fall asleep on him again – to the promise of food. As soon as they were in the doorway, the grip on his wrist was gone and he was in the line behind the blond man.

He barely registered being dragged again by someone – he glanced in the direction he was being pulled briefly and caught a glimpse of light blue – and soon his shins met a bench and he just automatically sat down. His brain finally caught up with everything though and he could easily recognise Skeppy, Finn, Zelk and Vurb sat either side of him. He looked up and saw the familiar red of Wilbur’s beanie and the white and red of Tommy’s undershirt. A few more glances around and he spotted Phil sat next to Wilbur, quietly speaking with Ranboo who was next to him and Tubbo. He also realised that for some odd reason his legs and arms could barely move.

“Sorry about the lack of space Techno! We all just wanted to sit with you, so we just smushed together on the largest table,” Finn’s words were gentle and he grinned at the pink-haired inmate, who returned it with a small smile. Upon closer inspection, he could see just how little space everyone had and he just shook his head and couldn’t stop the rumbling laugh that bubbled from his throat.

Everyone stopped what they were doing briefly before it was as if a switch had been flicked and grins, smiles and laughs had made their way onto every single face on the table.

Dinner was just as chaotic as always, and soon Wilbur and Tommy had gotten into another brotherly argument, chucking insults at each other and childishly taking either food or cutlery from each other while Phil tried to get them to just stop and behave. Soon Tubbo had joined in on the thieving pranks – he stole Ranboo’s fork and the poor boy looked absolutely lost before he realised what happened – which spurred Ranboo to join in and soon everyone was hurtling insults or stealing each other’s food and cutlery. Even Phil had joined in and Techno couldn’t stop the chuckle that came when Wilbur’s scandalised “Phil! I thought we were friends!” was heard when he saw his beanie being twirled on Phil’s finger, the Northerner only laughed at the response and returned it to the musical inmate.

Techno had pinched one of Skeppy’s many bracelets and wore it on his own wrist until Skeppy noticed (he didn’t expect the reaction he got. Skeppy had caught sight of the pink gradient, beaded bracelet on Techno’s wrist and he just smiled and told him it looked better on Techno anyway). The action was returned when Skeppy pinched one of the hairclips in Techno’s hair and hurriedly clipped it onto Finn’s sleeve. It took Finn three minutes to notice the bright orange clip on his sleeve; the entire group didn’t let Finn live it down for the rest of dinner.

The pink-haired murderer could only wish the span of dinner was longer as the guards spoke up and stated that it was time to leave and that they’d be called on in groups to go to the showers. The chorus of “laters” from everyone was accompanied by the group being dispersed and guided back to their cells.

* * *

With wet hair and a familiar warmth that thrummed in his veins as he listened to Phil’s quiet breathing, Techno raised his wrist so the bracelet trophy he had taken caught the light as best as it could. He raised his other hand and gently traced and followed the wooden beads, with a delicacy he never knew he could do, all a different shade of pink (he began listing them off in his mind: rosewood, coral, peach, salmon, strawberry, watermelon, rouge-) as he took in the appearance of it. He smiled when he recalled a conversation he had with Skeppy about his bracelets.

_“What’s with the bracelets, anyway?” Techno’s mouth had worked before his mind, and Skeppy seemed taken aback by the sudden question. He soon smiled when he realised Techno was genuinely interested._

_“They’re decorations, mostly, but some of them were given to me by people I loved. Friends, family, y’know. The sappy shit you pride yourself on not having.”_

_Techno nodded as he looked at each bracelet. One was a monochromatic woven bracelet with tones of blacks, greys and whites. Skeppy always seemed a little downtrodden whenever he looked at that specific one... Another was a small metallic bracelet with a little diamond heart charm attached. When he pointed to each bracelet, Skeppy told him the story behind the accessory, speaking with such passion and pride that Techno could only listen. When he pointed to one made of beads as blue as could be, the younger man's smile became beaming._

_“That’s my favourite one,” Skeppy’s eyes were gentle as he traced the blue beads that decorated his wrist, “it has so many shades of blue, and it’s pretty. Bad gave it to me when we became friends. It’s dumb, but I don’t think I’ve ever been as happy as I was when he just handed me a box and told me how much trouble he went through to get me it. I love this bracelet.”_

_He continued talking about the bracelets, and mentioned that the pink one was also from Bad, a present for good behaviour for a year – Skeppy’s personal best – and Skeppy never took it off because he liked it almost as much as the blue one._

Until now. This was one of Skeppy’s favourite bracelets. BadBoyHalo had given him it. He had pinched it and Skeppy let Technoblade keep it with a smile and a genuine compliment.

The smile only broadened at the realisations. He would look after this bracelet, just like Skeppy looked out for him when he first came to the SMP. He’d have to make it up to him...

He let the call of sleep wash over him again as he closed his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look, more wholesome to make up for the angsty chapters. Also, Skeppy, Bad and Techno friendship POG.
> 
> Hope y'all liked the chapter! Writing's getting a bit slower, can't deny, but that's okay. Kudos, comments and bookmarks always appreciated - they inspire me to continue writing as well.


	7. Visitors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Visitation Day in the SMP has everyone worked up - some not in a good way

The usual buzz of the prison seemed to have increased tenfold recently. People he’d never seen before were showing up more and more and even people he’d never seen be completely good (like Schlatt and Quackity) were suddenly behaving themselves. He had to admit, the way Quackity was suddenly being nice and polite to Techno was increasingly uncomfortable and he had voiced as much during lunch. He didn’t expect Wilbur to choke on his drink and start laughing at his comment nor did he expect Tommy to laugh like a madman himself.

“Quackity’s only behavin' ‘cause he wants to get his visitor privilege,” Phil chimed in a few seconds after, once Tommy’s loud laugh had quietened slightly. The older man still had to raise his voice a bit to be heard properly, “he’ll get back to “normal” soon, mate. Don’t worry.”

“Visitor privilege...” Techno echoed out, and all of the table nodded. He pulled a face and soon pinched the bridge of his nose, “I probably lost that, didn’t I?”

“Actually, Sapnap managed to persuade Dream to give you some time,” Bad chimed in out of nowhere, and Techno did not get startled, what do you mean? The jump was ignored by the warden, but knowing looks that showed he was definitely going to be teased was sent his way by many of the others, “you’ve got less time than say... Phil, but you’ve still got some.”

Technoblade hadn’t expected that in the slightest. His shock must have been evident, because he soon had a hand on his shoulder – Bad’s – and people joined in and gave him the odd reassuring touch on his arms and wrists (Finn, Wilbur, Phil...) with smiles on their faces. He wasn’t sure who would come visit him but he found himself somewhat excited, the idea of possibly seeing family again (god did he miss his little sister, he couldn’t help but wonder how she was doing) added to the buzz the other prisoners already had.

* * *

“Ten minutes, Technoblade, that’s all you have,” Sapnap stated firmly, and the man just nodded as he walked into the room. That thrum returned at the sight of his father and little sister sat waiting for him.

“Big brother!” Techno nearly stumbled at her innocent exclamation and walked over with the escort of George and Karl. Karl gently pulled the chair out while George uncuffed his wrists only to redo them once they were hooked through a metal semicircle attached to the table. At least these had some reach, thanks to longer chains, so he could at least touch his family’s outstretched hands.

“Hey, kid... How’ve you been?” His dad’s monotonous tone was just like his, except the man had the natural brown hair that ran through the family. Anyone could take one look and tell Techno was related to them both – the amber eyes of his little sister and the jawline and sharp eyes of his father too similar to his own to be anything but family.

“Alright, I guess. S’not so bad once you got a routine, y’know?”

His father solemnly nodded at the response as he gently took his daughter’s hand to calm her down – the number of guards and criminals in the room seemed to upset her. Techno wished he could hold her and give her a hug. The inmate raised his hand to mess with the braid Niki had done for him earlier, the familiar feeling of the fading pink strands that dipped and twisted over each other decorated with the odd bejewelled hair pins calmed him as he took in the growing disappointment in his father’s eyes.

“So... Mom couldn’t make it?” Techno didn’t realise how quiet his voice had gotten.

“No, she’s looking after your brother and your other sisters... She’ll try and come by next time.”

The inmate frowned at his father’s words and looked away briefly. He caught glimpses of the other inmates and watched their interactions briefly to avoid looking at that expression on his father’s face – one full of unspoken anguish and displeasure in eyes too similar to his own.

Phil sat opposite a woman with long brown hair, they were clutching each other’s hands and his friend seemed to be on the verge of tears as she spoke – the rings both wore caught his eyes before he looked elsewhere. Wilbur was sat talking to his parents, talking animatedly about something while his mother looked on with a smile. Tommy was practically leaning over the table as he spoke to his own parents, a grin on his face as he spoke with vigour about something Techno couldn’t hear – the boy was uncharacteristically quiet despite his excitement.

“Kid,” Techno finally wrenched his eyes from his friends to his family. His father’s gaze hadn’t changed, “what you did hurt us all so much more than you realise and you’re acting like it was nothing. We saw the goddamned news, son. You looked so... Proud of yourself. Do you know how much of a slap in the face that was? Seeing my own son smirking like a madman as he was being loaded into a police van to serve a goddamn life sentence! My own boy.”

Techno ground his teeth together as he looked down at his cuffed hands. The rose gold painted nails Finn had done were far too comforting in this scenario – when had he become so dependent on the others to get him out of awkward situations? – and the pink beaded bracelet of Skeppy's kept him calmer than he felt like he was entitled to.

His father continued ranting. His sister looked scared. Scared of him, scared of their father and his growing rage. He couldn’t take it, he could imagine what his mother would look like – brown hair tied neatly in a ponytail while she too scolded him for his actions, brown eyes that would shimmer with betrayal and rage and disappointment and he couldn’t take it.

His hands met the table with the loudest slam he’d ever heard as he shoved himself from the chair – it crashed into the floor with even more noise added to the deafening static in his ears. The entire room went silent. His father looked even more displeased.

“Well, I’m sorry I’m not your perfect fucking kid, dad! I’m sorry I’ve embarrassed you and ruined your stupid reputation! Sorry that everything you ever did was fucking wasted on me! Not everyone is perfect, y’know! Not everyone can handle things the way you do! Not everyone can just take insults and roll over on their goddamn back like a good dog like you do and cope with it! For once, just once, could you stop fucking thinking about yourself and think about me? Is that so hard?”

The atmosphere in the room was crushing. Everyone was staring at him. His sister had recoiled and hidden behind their – no, not anymore. Just her – dad. The man in front of him seemed shocked at his words before he too stood upright and met his son’s eyes directly.

“I am trying to think about you, son! You just have to make it so difficult because you’re so stubborn! Why can’t you just understand that?”

“I am done trying to understand your goddamn logic, _dad_!” The word felt like acid on his tongue, burning through the skin and permanently scarring the tissue and muscle, “why even bother coming here if you’re just gonna insult me and call me a madman? Why bother coming here if the mere sight of me is so disappointing? Why did you even come here?”

He didn’t realise he was screaming until his throat felt dry and scratchy. He could feel his heart pounding, could feel the rush of adrenaline in his veins and pulsing through his entire body. He could see how violently his clenched fists were shaking. He couldn’t see his sister anymore.

“I came here to try and make sense of why you did that! Why the hell would you kill so many people? Why would you destroy our family like this?”

“I killed because it was fun!” Oh, that felt far too good. That shouldn’t have felt good... But it was so, so true, “I killed because I enjoyed it! Because I liked the control! Because for once I fucking had some!”

He caught a glimpse of his expression in his father’s widened eyes. He could see the manic smile; he could see the pride and joy that burned like molten rock in his eyes. He could see just how far gone he truly had become – and he liked it.

“I killed because the feeling was addictive, because having the scent and sight of another person’s blood on my hand drove me wild and made me feel free! I killed because I enjoyed seeing how people feared me for once, I killed because I could make people pay for everything they had ever done.”

He didn’t expect the laugh that bubbled from his throat – broken, insane... _Ecstatic_.

“That’s why! Are you finally fucking happy now?”

He could feel and hear the chains creak from the strain he was putting on them. He could probably snap them if he wanted to.

He didn’t.

Sam had rushed over to his family and hurriedly began escorting them out as he shouted orders to the other guards to get Techno out of here. He could feel the cuffs be hurriedly undone and he quickly pulled away. The chains rattled and something clinked a few centimetres from him. The cuffs were off of his wrists and he began heading straight towards his father. Panicked shouts came from all around him as he stalked towards the man with purpose, a predator hunting its prey, and suddenly there was a sharp pain in his side and he couldn’t stand anymore.

Someone shouted something – he didn’t know who it was. Another frightful voice called out with barely stable syllables.

“Get those fucking cuffs on him, George! That’s not gonna stall him for long!”

A growl came from Techno and he saw the way his father recoiled, he could see the fear in his sister’s eyes – the last person he wanted to be scared of him was her, but he’d already destroyed what little remnants of that bridge was left, hadn’t he? – and he could see the horrified expression on Wilbur’s usually welcoming, smiling face just a few steps away from him. He didn’t like that – Wilbur was warm. Wilbur was good... Wilbur wasn’t cold like that – and just as he was about to speak, another seething pain ran through his spine.

The last thing he registered was the blurring image of Bad hurriedly dragging his family out of the door as the floor met his cheek when he forced down by several pairs of hands on his head, arms and torso. He really screwed up this time... He had ruined everything for everyone. He only hoped he hadn’t made them all hate him – he couldn’t lose anyone else.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hah! Y'all thought this would be a wholesome chapter - you thought wrong.  
> I'm so sorry. Please don't hate me. I promise with the help of a friend I am writing a very wholesome chapter for you all next. I owe you all that much instead of angst with all this support you've been giving me.  
> Kudos, comments and bookmarks are, as always, incredibly appreciated! Hope you guys liked this chapter.

**Author's Note:**

> Short prologue because I just really wanted to start this story - even if it's got a short beginning. That and I couldn't be bothered to write an entire trial scene. So yes! Convicted Serial Killer!Technoblade starts off this story. There won't be mentions of real names.
> 
> Hope you all liked this though! Comments, bookmarks and kudos always welcome.


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